Epicor C# Expertise

Epicor® 10 C# Customizations

The release of Epicor® 10 increased the need for C# skills. Though customizations can still be coded in VB.NET, it is not recommended (especially since you lose Web Access). C# gives you all the features you need at a stable and lightning fast speed. Further increasing the need for C# is BPMs. In Epicor® 10, BPMs no longer use progress code. It has been replaced with C# instead (LINQ).

Why This Is Important

The shift to C# may cause some concerns for your custom work, metrics, reporting and other packages, especially those created by third parties. Custom code isn’t guaranteed to survive the transition, and the Epicor® upgrade process won’t be able to ensure that all of the functionality you’ve come to rely on will continue to operate.

Don’t let previous developers leave you stranded or face issues with a third-party-developed install package from years ago harm your operations. It’s time to get professional consulting.

PTS Knows C#

The truth is, C# is nothing new to our developers. We’ve been coding in C# since before Vantage® 8.

Your upgrade may be leading to new areas, such as data sets being defined in assemblies that are no longer referenced, or you might be missing assemblies completely. BPMs have changed, and some users are reporting problems with old options because the import file is no longer correct. You’ve probably run across a variety of .bpm, .i and .p extensions but aren’t sure what to do with each.

And sometimes, the migration issues look past C# needs and might be a missed reference or a selection of files that just didn’t come through the other end intact.

Solving all of that requires a specific knowledge of both Epicor® systems and the C# language. Lucky for you, that’s exactly what we have at PTS, and it’s exactly what we deliver at affordable rates for all of our clients.

To help you understand what we offer with C# customization, here are some C# examples.

Sales Order Entry

What we did: Added a selection the Actions dropdown that allowed the user to print the Pick List report, using the Order Number loaded in Sales Order Entry.

We get this request a lot: add something to the actions menu drop down and open it by passing values to it. In this case the customer wanted to load a Sales Order number in SO Entry, and Print the Pick List using the same Sales Order number. Custom C# code accomplished this quite nicely.It’s a core Epicor® function that you’ll use, and we’ll save you time and limit manual entry errors or formula missteps through this simple C# update.

Time Phase Inquiry

This C# solution was done in Epicor® 10. The customer was satisfied that they could now filter the “Source” column by whether or not it contained the word “Forecast”. We declared the grid in C#, and set a filter to it based on the checkbox value.The C# customizations the PTS team focused on are functional ways to improve your operations, but as you can see we ensure they’re visually appealing and easy to navigate from the very first use.

Hand Held – Unpick Sales Order Form

What we did: PTS knows that picking can sometimes be a challenge. For this solution users wanted to be able to print a Pick Label from their handheld device by a simple button click. They wanted to load an OrderNum and Line, click the button, and there’s the Pick Label.

Using C#, we built a print button and placed it at the bottom of the Unpick Sales Order screen. When users clicked this button, the Pick Label would immediately print (completely skipping the report print screen). This was accomplished with C# code in both the Hand-Held Unpick screen, and the Pick Label report (print screen).

Design functions like this placement allow your staff to have a more seamless integration of the technology they use and can help you slowly introduce new procedures and equipment with minimal interruption in the data you track and picking they perform.

Build a Dashboard Using C#

What we did:Built a dashboard that was actually a customization written entirely in C#. If you’re wondering “why on earth would you do this?” you’re absolutely right. That’s a completely valid question. In Epicor® 9 there are some limitations to dashboards, but they are few and far between. One of those limitations is the inability to select multiple records from a search. Our Customer needed to do just this, so we built them a C# solution.

Using nothing but C# code we built the dashboard our customer needed. The screen below looks like a dashboard, but it’s actually a customized screen.Epicor® C# customizations from PTS are designed specifically to meet goals and overcome limitations in the system. We’re not out to do the same job as Epicor® — instead, we’re working to make sure it functions in the most useful way for your business.

Sometimes that’s a custom C# screen, and at other times it means working within existing dashboards to add the layers you need for better access to your data.

Engineering Workbench

What we did: Our customer’s users needed to adhere to a strict ECO naming convention that was maintained via a UDTable. Rather than allowing users to enter in their own ECOs, we built a button that automatically generated the “Next ECO” record based on the data from their UDTable.

For this solution we built C# code inside the Engineering Workbench, as well as, BPMs (written in C#) that helped to populate the “Next ECO” value. Essentially, we had our C# code in the Engineering Workbench “communicating” with our BPMs that were also written in C#.The operation went smoothly, and is designed in a way that works with future growth, plus still functions properly in the event of a migration or significant update.

C# customization from PTS is designed to give you all of the power you need in your ERP environment. We’re able to build custom functionality, repair missing or broken capabilities after a migration and restore custom operations that were lost when you upgraded to Epicor® 10.

Want to see us in action? Contact us now for an estimate to build the functionality you desire and to learn more about our process.

“Imarda has faced several business challenges recently as we have been undergoing significant growth for our i360 product. This growth has resulted in increased manufacturing volumes, and complicated BOM’s (Bill of Materials) and increased billing to be produced from an aging ERP system (Epicor 8) that is in need of replacement.

Imarda had done an amount of work with PTS in the past and I contacted Jim from PTS in the hope this company could assist. Jim’s team jumped straight in aware of the challenges we faced. I was able to talk to Jim directly several times which provided a huge amount of comfort and even though the time zones were different I never had any issues reaching him or a member of his team.Their straight forward approach was a relief. The team at PTS assisted in arranging meetings, eliciting the answers from iMarda staff with questions backed up

Their straight forward approach was a relief. The team at PTS assisted in arranging meetings, eliciting the answers from iMarda staff with questions backed up from years of experience in Epicor. This sped up the business improvement process significantly. Their agile methodology was a perfect fit as we needed to jump between issues often very quickly and due to the nature of our remote staff the timing of such meetings was often at short notice. The functional results that were produced as a result of Jim’s team were a key component in keeping the operations process running within Imarda.

On top of this work, Jim’s team also provided excellent support, as our lack of knowledge with Epicor due to staff churn again left us challenged with internal support options. Jim’s team dealt with questions ranging from the absolute basics to advanced questions easily and with an air of patience that can only be described as completely forgiving!! In short, I would have no hesitation in recommending PTS.”

— Imarda

“The straight forward approach was a relief and I appreciate how the PTS team jumped straight in despite the complex challenges we faced. I was able to speak with Jim directly several times which provided a great amount of comfort, I never had any trouble reaching him and/or a member of his team.

The team at PTS assisted in arranging meetings in which we discussed complicated business process and procedure requirements. This sped up the improvement process significantly. PTS’ methodology was a perfect fit to quickly and thoroughly address our needs and provide solutions.

The functional results that were produced as a result of Jim’s team were a key component in keeping operations running. Moreover, their skills for development are extraordinary. On top of his work, Jim’s team also provided excellent support. They dealt with questions ranging from the absolute basics to advanced easily and with an air of patience that can only be described as completely forgiving!

In short, I would have no hesitation in recommending PTS to any prospective client and I would be happy to answer any questions related to this reference.”

— Olmsted Products

“I am very happy and honored to provide you with a reference for Practical Technology Solutions. I have been EXTREMELY happy with the work that has been provided. I have not been using them for long (just a number of months), but in a very short time frame they have reassured me that my trust in them as a consulting business partner is well worth it. I see their knowledge of the Epicor Product lines as being very in-depth and their staff as highly resourceful. I highly recommend them as a business consulting partner for your business and technical application needs.”

“We don’t have a traditional IT department…… I’ve worked with a few different consultants over the last 3 years, after I found Practical Technical Solutions (An independent professional services provider), I will always go to them first with a need. They got to my projects in short order, knew exactly what I was talking about most of the time and if they didn’t, it was easy to explain to them what I needed. The rate is better and the work is more efficient than I have found elsewhere. I would highly recommend PTS (An independent professional services provider) to anyone using Epicor®.”

— Dudek & Bock

“We have used PTS for several of our Epicor® needs. They have helped with our Epicor® implementation through training of our staff. They have also helped with more technical aspects such as helping us set-up a secondary application server. I have found PTS to be extremely knowledgeable and professional, and quick to help when needed.”

— Seymour Tubing Inc.

“The other service we used from PTS was a training session that lasted a few days on site. We used one of their trainers, Jeremy, who was very talented in Epicor® but also had a naturally good communication style about him. He taught a few of our people the basics of writing Crystal Reports out of Epicor®. We plan on using PTS as a resource in Epicor® as we move forward.”

— Precision Marshall Steel Company

“General Formulations is a mid-sized manufacturing company currently using Epicor for our manufacturing system. We have used PTS for a number of tasks including custom SSRS reports, custom dashboards, BPM’s, and Go Live Support. I have found PTS knowledgeable, talented and extremely capable in the work that they have done for our company. I have worked with Jim, Sam, Jarrad, and Glenn and found them all to be consummate professionals with great attitude and ability. I can recommend PTS with the greatest confidence to anyone looking for top-notch help in implementation and customization of Epicor.”

— General Formulations

“So far Jim and a group from PTS have come in to do a CRP/training session for two days that was extremely helpful. They have also developed and installed a customized program to assist in automated Order Entry and processing, shipment entry and processing, and have developed customized SSRS reports. They have always addressed our concerns in a timely manner, and are very conscientious about costs, and very detailed in their work.

I definitely recommend PTS as a partner for Epicor technical services and continue to use them. I only wish I had found them sooner. I will continue to go to them for enhancements, training and consulting as there is no doubt they will help us maximize our investment and minimize our time spent implementing various Epicor solutions.”

Disclosure: Practical Technology Solutions LLC is a provider of Epicor® professional services and has no affiliation or partnership with Epicor® or SAP. Epicor® and Vantage® are trademearks of Epicor®. Crystal Reports® is a trademark of SAP.

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